Construction of centerboard vessels



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

C. E. KETCHUM AND W. L. HUNT, OF PORT JEFFERSON, NEW YORK.

CONSTRUCTION OF CENTERBOARD VESSELS.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 29,085, dated July 10, 1860.

- To aZZ 'whom 'it may concem:

Be it known that we, C. E. KETGHUM and W. L. HUNT, both of Port Jelferson, in the county of Suft'olk and State of New York, have inventeda new and useful Improvement in the Construction of Genterboard Vessels;and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, andexactdescription thereof, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, making a part of this specificat-ion, in which Figure l,represents a longitudinal sectional elevation of the timbers amidship,showing the keel, keelson-log, and keelson with a section taken throughthe transver-se floor timbers, that are half dove-tailed into thekeelson-log. Fig. 2, a top view of Fig. 1, showing the manner offastening into the keelson-log, the flooring timbers. Fig. 3, anathwartship View of F igs. 1 and 2; this section is taken through Fig."2, as indicated by the red line fu, Fig. el, a Vertical longitudinalsection taken through one trunk-post and twovfioor timbers, as indicatedby the red line y, y, Fig. 2.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the severalfigures.

Our invention consists in interposing a solid timber, which we shallterm the keelson-log filling, between the keel and keelson so as tocompletely fill up the space usually left between these two t-imbers, aswill be hereinafter described, said keelson filling is seated on thekeel in such a way that the calking` can be done from the outside of thevessel before both sides of the outer planking are put, as will bedescribed.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand our invention wewill proceed to describe its construction and operation.

The drawings represent only those parts of a vessells frame that areintimately connected with the part we desire to improve; the vessel isotherwise constructed in the mann'er well known to shipwrights.

A represents the keel, and B the keelson, which eXtend in an unbrokenline from stem to stern of the vessel, and to which the stem and sternposts are secured. The keel and keelson are made of solid pieces oftimber, or they may be made of separate pieces properly scarfedtogether. The keelson B, is

raised a sutficient distance above the keel A, to admit the ends offloor timbers C, C, with a reserved space above these timbers for thepurpose hereinafter described.

The head and tail posts D, D', are now set, one on each side of thekeelson B, extending down to the seam of the keel, as shown in thedrawings Figs. 1, 3 and et; and on the outside of these perpendicularposts D, D', is secured the trunk-log G, that extends a short distancebeyond the posts D, D', fore and aft, into which timber (G) the ends ofthe floor timbers C', O, are secured. The trunk or boxing (not shown inthe drawings) is now built up by nailing the boards on each side of thehead and tail posts D, D', and suitably calking the joints, a space isthus left between the side boards forming` the trunk by the side of thekeel and keelson for the center board. Now instead of cutting out alarge portion of wood of the keelson B, in order to let into it a plankto close up the way between the keelson B, and keel A, we interpose asolid piece of timber J, that completely fills up the space under thekeelson, which piece extends out both sides from the trunk posts D, D',any suitable distance. This keelson-log J, is seated snugly on the keelA, and rabbet-ed down to it, in the inanner shown in Fig. 3, so that theinside seam a., will be even with the bottom of the trunk-log G, theseam will thus be exposed, before the planking is put on, and thecalking may be done from the outside o-f the vessel. The floor timbersO, O, are now secured into the keelson-log J, by half dovetail jointsZ), (see Fig. 2) and wedge keys 0,' the floor timbers in this manner areall secured into solid timber on each side of the trunk or center boardspace which will add greatly to the strength of the hulls of centerboard vessels.

That we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,

The keelson-log' J, int-roduced between the keel and keelson,substantially in the manner, and for the purposes herein set forth.

CORNELIUS E. KETOHUM. TV. L. HUNT. Witnesses:

BRYANT L. NORTON, JOHN L. DARLING.

